Sliced bread and wrapper holder



y 1934- R. o. WHITAKER 1,958,733

SLICED BREAD AND WRAPPER HOLDER Filed June 7. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ifl;.L-

INVENTOR ATTORNEY,

y 1934- R. o. WHiTAKER 1,958,733

SLICED BREAD AND WRAPPER HOLDER Filed June 7, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 OINVENTOR Faber? 0. 1302220116 mroaumg Patented May 15, 1934 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

My invention relates to machines for holding sliced loaves of bread fromfalling apart while being wrapped in the customary sanitary sheets ofpaper, and one object is to provide a simple, inexpensive and manuallyoperated machine of this character which can be manufactured andmarketed at a price within reach of small bakeries that cannot afford topurchase expensive pow-er driven machines now on the market.

A further object is to provide a portable machine of this character notlikely to get out of order and which can be readily operated by oneperson.

In carrying out the invention I employ a suitable table upon the top ofwhich the wrappers are laid. The sliced loaf is then placed upon theuppermost wrapper and held from falling apart by the hands until grippedby clamping means thrown into engagement with the ends of the loafthrough the intermediary of a treadle manually actuated by the operator.The hands are now free to fold the wrapper around the loaf during whichoperation the pedal is released at the proper time to allow the clampingmeans to move 1 out of the Way, so that the operation of folding thewrapper over the ends of the loaf may be completed without hinderancefrom said clamping means.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will nowbe had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the machine. Fig. 2 is an irregularvertical section on line 22 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is an irregular section online 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring in detail to the difierent parts, 2 designates a tablecomprising front and rear legs 3 and 4, respectively, supporting a top 6and reinforced by cross members 8, 10 and 12. The cross members 8 unitethe front and rear legs, while the cross members 10 unite the rear legs,the space between the front legs 3 being left open so that the operatormay readily reach a treadle 14 operably connected at one end as byhinges 16 to the cross member 12 uniting the lower ends of the frontlegs 3.

The opposite end of the treadle 14 is connected by suitable means suchas a hinge 18 to the lower end of a connecting rod 20 having a reducedupper portion 22 extending through a guide member 24 fixed to a crossmember 26 secured at its ends tothe upper cross members 8. Theconnecting bar 20 is normally held in raised position by an expansiblespring 28 interposed between the guide member 24 and a suitable stopsuch as a washer 30 secured to the upper portion of the extension 22 bymeans of a cotter-pin 32.

34 designates a pair of oscillatory arms disposed at opposite sides ofthe table and operably connected at their lower ends to the lower crossmembers 8 by suitable means such as hinges 36, and at their upperportions to the connecting bar 20 by means of a pair of links 38extending through guide apertures 40 formed in the two adjacent sides ofthe downturned flange 42 of the table top 6. The links 38 are operableconnected at their lower ends to the bar 20 by suitable means such aspivots 44, and at their upper ends to the arms 34 by suitable means suchas nuts 46. 7 Outward movement of the links 38 is limited by suitablestops 48 and the adjacent sides of the flange 42 against which saidstops are adapted to impinge. The stops 48 are secured to the links 38and may be provided with rubber or other suitable cushions (not shown)for silencing the noise which would otherwise occur if the stops 48contacted directly with the adjacent sides of the flange 42.

The upper ends of the oscillatory arms 34 are equipped with suitableclamping means for gripping the ends of the sliced loaf A to hold theslices together. Each clamp comprises a rod 52 and a plate 54, whichlatter is secured to the end of the former nearest the loaf A. The rods52 extend freely through apertures in the upper end of the respectivearms 34, so that said rods may be adjusted toward or away from eachother to accommodate loaves of different lengths. Suitable means such asset screws 56, 90. threaded in the arms 34, are provided for securingthe rods 52 at any point of their adjustment. In order that the clampingmeans may be readily set for loaves of different lengths the rods 52 aregraduated as indicated at 58.

In practice the operator places a supply of wrappers B upon the top 6 ofthe table and then places a loaf A upon the topmost wrapper. The loaf isheld by the hands to keep the slices together until the ends of the loafare gripped by the clamping means 52-54 which are adjusted to activeposition through the intermediary of the intervening mechanism when thetreadle 14 is depressed. The hands are now free to fold the uppermostwrapper B upwardly against the longitudinal sides and over the top ofthe loaf, after which the operator starts to fold the wrapper over theends of the loaf. Before completing the latter operation suficientdownward pressure is removed from treadle 14 to permit spring 0 28 tomove the clamping means to inactive position through the intermediary ofthe intervening parts, so that the plates 14 will not be in the way ofthe operator when completing the fold at the ends of the loaf. Usuallythe loaf is placed in an inverted position upon the wrapper so that whenthe latter is folded longitudinally around the loaf the overlapping endsof the wrapper will be at the bottom of the loaf.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that I have provided amachine which is well adapted for the purpose intended, and while I haveshown and described one form of said machine I reserve all rights tosuch other forms and modifications thereof as properly fall Within thespirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is:

1. A machine of the character described comprising a table having a topadapted to support a sliced loaf of bread and a wrapper therefor, clampmembers arranged above the table top and adapted to engage the ends ofthe loaf to hold the slices together while the loaf is being wrapped, apair of oscillatory arms exteriorly arranged at opposite sides of thetable and to the upper ends of which said clamp members are firmlysecured, means operably connecting the lower ends of said arms to thetable, a pair of links connected at their upper ends to the upperportions of the arms and extending inwardly and downwardly towards eachother, guide means at opposite sides of the table through which saidlinks extend, and means connected to said links for actuating the same.

2. A machine of the character described comprising a table having a topadapted to support a sliced loaf of bread and a wrapper therefor, clampmembers arranged above the table top and adapted to engage the ends ofthe load to hold the slices together while the loaf is being wrapped, apair of oscillatory arms exteriorly arranged at opposite sides of thetable and to the upper ends of which said clamp members are firmlysecured, means operably connecting the lower ends of said arms to thetable, a pair of links connected at their upper ends to the upperportions of the arms and extending inwardly and downwardly towards eachother, guide means at opposite sides of the table through which saidlinks extend, a connecting bar for actuating said links, a guide throughwhich said connecting bar extends, spring means embracing saidconnecting bar for moving the same in one direction, and manuallyoperable means for moving said connecting bar in the opposite direction.

3. A machine of the character described comprising a table having a topadapted to support a sliced loaf of bread and a wrapper therefor, clampmembers arranged above the table top and adapted to engage the ends ofthe loaf to hold the slices together while the loaf is being wrapped, apair of oscillatory arms exteriorly arranged at opposite sides of thetable and to the upper ends of which said clamp members are firmlysecured, means operably connecting the lower ends of said arms to thetable, a pair of links connected at their upper ends to the upperportions of the arms and extending inwardly and downwardly towards eachother, an upwardly extending connecting bar operably secured to thelower ends of the links, guide means for the upper portion of saidconnecting bar, a coil spring embracing the upper portion of saidconnecting bar to move the same in one direction, and a treadle operablyconnected to the lower portion of said connecting bar to move the samein the opposite direction.

ROBERT O. WHITAKER.

